- Cynthia Erivo has played Harriet Tubman and Aretha Franklin. Now the Grammy, Tony and Emmy-winning actress is set to star and produce a remake of The Rose. The original 1979 film originally starred Bette Midler and was loosely based on the life of Janis Joplin.
- HFPA is going through more bullshit… and it just further proves that they need to be dissolved.
- Just when we thought that the colorism discussion with In The Heights was bookended, the legendary Rita Moreno came forward to say a few words — and those didn’t go over too well. Luckily, she came forward and cleared things up. Hopefully this is the end of this discussion. Maybe people should just try to fix the problem instead of stating their opinions… just a thought.
- All you Dune heads will be happy to know that Denis Villeneuve’s Dune starring Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Dave Bautista, Chang Chen, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem will make its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.
- Zoë Kravitz is stepping behind the camera to direct the genre thriller Pussy Island starring Channing Tatum. There are so many words in that sentence that just seems perfect.
- Whether we want it or not, there’s a Beauty and the Beast limited series prequel is a go at Disney+. Josh Gad and Luke Evans are set to reprise their roles as Lefou and Gaston, respectively. In an interesting twist and an attempt to add more color to the prequel, actress Briana Middleton joins the cast as Tilly, Lefou’s step sister.
- Jennifer Lopez wasted no time with her first-look deal with Netflix as she is about to star and produce in the sci-fi thriller Atlas.
- Orange Is the New Black alumna and In the Heights star Dascha Polanco is joining Shanola Hampton in NBC pilot Dangerous Moms. I am also petitioning for a Cuca spinoff.
- Dave, Mrs. America and You’re The Worst writer April Shih has struck an overall deal with FX Productions and is launching her own production company Diversity Hire Ltd.
- Oscar-winning director of Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse director Peter Ramsey will serve as executive producer for the anthology Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire which will showcase talent from all across Africa.
- During the ATX TV Festival, Ramy star Steve Way dragged the Motion Picture Academy for its failure to provide all necessary accommodations for the disabled. prior to this year’s Academy Awards, where a wheelchair ramp was introduced for the first time.
- From In The Heights to Tick Tick…Boom! to Vivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a busy man — but he still has room to reprise his improvisational rap musical revue Freestyle Love Supreme, which he co-created with Thomas Kail and Anthony Veneziale. The show is returning to Broadway’s Booth Theatre for a special engagement.
- Hong Chau and André Benjamin (aka André 3000) are among the new actors joining Kelly Reichardt’s next film Showing Up at A24.
- Ziwe is making moves! The Showtime variety/talk show host is developing the comedy series The Nigerian Princess at Amazon. The project follows Zoe, a wise-beyond-her-years 20-something who, debilitated by student debt, partners with a known grifter in a desperate bid to achieve the American Dream. The two prep school grads make an unlikely alliance all while secretly plotting to scam each other.
- Hiroyuki Sanada is the latest to join Lionsgate’s John Wick: Chapter 4 opposite Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Rina Sawayama and Shamier Anderson.
- Gina Rodriguez is set to make her directorial debut with a feature film about a fictional character inspired by Mexican-American boxer Ryan Garcia.
- Barry Jenkins has been set as this year’s guest director of the 2021 Telluride Film Festival.
- Cannes Film Festival jury president Spike Lee is this year’s model of the event’s 2021 poster… and it’s kinda dope.
- Alisha Boe and Brandon Flynn has joined Odessa A’zion, Gideon Adlon, Hari Nef, Otmara Marrero, Cliff Powell, Ava McCoy and Isabella Salimpour in the experimental indie Who Am I?
- Jessica Watson is set to adapt Kim Johnson’s award-winning novel This Is My America into a series at HBO Max. The story explores racial injustice through the eyes of a Black Gen-Z budding social activist who fights to save her father from death row, while also working to clear her brother’s name after he becomes a suspect in the murder of a popular white girl at their Texas school.
- Amazon Studios has tapped filmmaker and Snowfall actor Malcolm M. Mays to write a new script for the film Steal Away about the daring theft and escape of Robert Smalls, who was an enslaved person slave in 1862 Charleston.
- Get ready for a lot of body rolls, tear away pants, oily abs and big bulges! Magic Mike star Adam Rodriguez is set to join The Real Magic Mike! (wt), HBO Max’s upcoming male stripper competition series, as mentor and executive producer.
- MGM, Bron, and Hidden Empire Film Group’s Deon and Roxanne Avent Taylor are set to reboot the blaxploitation horror classic Blacula.
- Netflix and Ghetto Film School have unveiled the winning films from the inaugural class of their new content creation program focused on emerging Black filmmakers.
- 10 Things I Hate About You and Save the Last Dance icon Julia Stiles is set to make her directing debut with romantic drama Wish You Were Here.
- Mindy Kaling is set to produce an untitled Netflix comedy inspired by the front office of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. Team president Jeanie Buss is attached to exec produce while Elaine Ko will pen the script, exec produce and serve as showrunner on the 10-episode workplace comedy.
- Annie Ilonzeh is set as the lead in NBC drama pilot Getaway, from The Blacklist duo John Davis and John Fox.
Also… Girls5Eva is renewed for a second season at Peacock, while Legendary duck walks its way to a third season at HBOMax…And in more renewal news, Freeform has renewed Cruel Summer for a second season with the same cast or as an anthology.
